TREASURED
Series: Masters & Mercenaries #22.5 / Sanctum Nights #11
Genre: BDSM, Contemporary Romance
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: June 22, 2021
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake comes a new story in her Masters and Mercenaries series…
David Hawthorne has a great life. His job as a professor at a prestigious Dallas college is everything he hoped for. Now that his brother is back from the Navy, life seems to be settling down. All he needs to do is finish the book he’s working on and his tenure will be assured. When he gets invited to interview a reclusive expert, he knows he’s gotten lucky. But being the stepson of Sean Taggart comes with its drawbacks, including an overprotective mom who sends a security detail to keep him safe. He doesn’t need a bodyguard, but when Tessa Santiago shows up on his doorstep, the idea of her giving him close cover doesn’t seem so bad.
Tessa has always excelled at most anything she tried, except romance. The whole relationship thing just didn’t work out for her. She’s not looking for love, and she’s certainly not looking for it with an academic who happens to be connected to her boss’s family. The last thing she wants is to escort an overly pampered pretentious man-child around South America to ensure he doesn’t get into trouble. Still, there’s something about David that calls to her. In addition to watching his back, she will have to avoid falling into the trap of soulful eyes and a deep voice that gets her heart racing.
But when the seemingly simple mission turns into a treacherous race for a hidden artifact, David and Tess know this assignment could cost them far more than their jobs. If they can overcome the odds, the lost treasure might not be their most valuable reward.
**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**
You want me to call you ‘Sir’?”
“While that would be appropriate, what we have is special, so I think we’ll use a different, special, term.”
“David, I told you. This is just sex. Maybe we shouldn’t be so…”
“Professor,” he said, ignoring her outburst. “You will call me Professor when you’re submitting.”
This series can have a million books and I will never grow tired of it. Never.
Now while I love Lexi’s bad@ss mercenaries, there’s just something about a sexy nerd that just hits the spot. And David Hawthorne was everything I had hoped he’d be. Kyle is Sean’s stepson and the exact antithesis to his brother, Kyle. Kyle is the bad@ss protector with a tortured past, but David is the handsome professor with a secret kink for dominance. He’s the perfect gentleman with some hangups from his childhood that he still works through.
Tessa and he meet at a party and share an instant spark, but Tessa is gun shy after a failed engagement so she ghosts him when he tries to contact her after. Of course fate has other plans when Tessa is hired to be his bodyguard on a trip for a treasure hunt. Forced proximity at it’s best here.
Now admittedly, I wasn’t as interested in the treasure hunt and mystery around it. It was interesting but didn’t have me totally engrossed either. I loved the romance between David and Tessa. She never sees this quiet and charismatic man coming. He’s unassuming in a way but in such a way that he totally sneaks up on her. I loved watching their connection grow. I also love the addition of spending more time with Sean, and of course my favorite, Ian. Now I’m super looking forward to Kyle’s book next.
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